Quickly replaced pattern drum

ABSTRACT

Quick replacement of pattern and similar drums is achieved by the provision of a cover for the drum, the cover being maintained in fixed position on said body by bolts threaded into the body. A sliding ledge secures the cover in position by engaging both the cover and recesses in the bolts. An additional shield encompassing a part of the circumference of the drum also permits the drum to be withdrawn laterally.

United States Patent [191 Brandstatter 1 July 22, 1975 1 QUICKLY REPLACED PATTERN DRUM [75] Inventor: Miroslav Brandstatter, Brno,

Czechoslovakia [73] Assignee: Vyzkumny a vyvojovy ustav Zavodu vseobecneho strojire'nstvi, Brno, Czechoslovakia [22] Filed: Oct, 5, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 403,804

[52] US. Cl 66/156; 66/50 B; 139/330 [51] Int. Cl D04b 15/74 [58] Field of Search 139/330, 333, 334; 220/55 R; 66/50 B, 154, 156; 292/150, 302,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,648,968 8/1953 Holmsten 292/341.15

3,616,655 11/1971 Guell 66/50 B 3,667,253 6/1972 Bourgeois 66/50 B 3,712,084 1/1973 Kuhn 66/156 Primary ExaminerHeriry S. Jaudon 5 7 ABSTRACT Quick replacement of pattern and similar drums is achieved by the provision of a cover for the drum, the cover being maintained in fixed position on said body by bolts threaded into the body. A sliding ledge secures the cover in position by engaging both the cover and recesses in the bolts. An additional shield encompassing a part of the circumference of the drum also permits the drum to be withdrawn laterally.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures NNN SHEET PATENTED JUL 2 2 I975 QUICKLY REPLACED PATTERN DRUM BACKGROUND OF THE lNVENTlQhi" This application is related to applicantsprior application Ser.;l lo.'388.?.43. filed Aug. l3. 1973.

The inventionrela t'es t'o'an arrangementpermitting the quick replacement of pattern and functionally similar drums'ifsuch drums. for-examplefbeing part of pattern or programd'evicesi f knittingmachinesf Knitting machines and particularly lar'ge' diameter circular pattern knitting machines,aregusuallyprovided with differentfiirrangements' performing certain p m tions of a predetermined program. similar arrangements are. for instance. patterndevice'sseleeting' 'knitting needles or different auxiliary elements"; or program devices performing the task of adeviee for Controlling different parts of the knitting machine. Thesarr'angcments are usually providdd with drums withoutw ardly projecting pegs," or cams with lobes or'yextensions'. which are replace able according to therequired program. A change of a program generally also redtiires an exchange of drums. particularly drums of pattern, devices. ln the case of changing, for instance; the pattern of the knit goods. duet'o a'fchange of the bihdirig of the knit goods. 'a changeof the colorof the pattern. or some other change of the'pattern. the drums have to be removed from the'pattern device and the peg s adjusted or provided with extensions p laced according to the newpattern. i

It is also, possible to have the new pattern prepared on a new set of drums for the replacement of the drums with the original pattern. In addition toknitting-machines where the, program is executed by drums with pegs. there are also less frequently used knitting machines whereinthe program including the selection of needles is achieved by-rn ea ns off-a band. Each change of the program and therefore also change of the pattern means requiresashutting down .of th e machine and thus a reduction oftheefficien cyof itsoperation. In this regard.1.-knitting machii es with a program controlled by drums are less advantageous than knitting machines where the program is controlled band. It is therefore desirable to have arrangements with program on drums-designedjsothat; in addition to their usual advantages theyalsd include improvements in the ease ofmaintenanc an'd the quick changing of programs while retaining their reliability in operation.

'A drawback-f =a 'kirown design of similar machines is that with some circular knitting machinesit isnecessary to remove the; whole pattern device for the selcj tion of needles'by loos'ening screws-and toperform re-" placement of-drumsfo'r drums with the new pattern outside the machine. The reason for this disassembling outside the machine is'thc fact that the space occupied by the pattern devices does not allow the removal of the drums in site. Another drawback of this construction is that the change of the pattern and repeated assembling on the machine is timeconsuming. Other circular knitting machines effect the change of pattern by unscrewing the covers of the drums and replacing the drums by drums with the new pattern so that the change of pattern is finished after repeated assembling of covers of the drum on the pattern device. An advantage of this solution is that the whole pattern device does not need to be removed from the machine; however. there is the drawback that the pattern drums are supported on relatively high vertical shafts. so that 2 there are increased requirements for free space needed for the removal of the cover and of the drum.

-j "5 SUMMARY or" THE INVENTION ltis an; ohje 'etof the present invention to reduce these drawbacks to a large degree. and to provide an arrangement; which permits a quick replacement of the drums without requiringa large free space above the drums. According to the invention. the cover of the supporting body oi the drum is slid on bolts with indentations or recesses. thc'bolt'sbeing fixed on the supporting body. there'being'a transverse 'ledge'engaging into the indentations of the bolts and into a slot of the cover. The position of the transverse ledge is secured by spring loaded stop means. An additional shield encompasses a part of the circumference oi the drum.

' An advantage of the arrangement according to this invention is the-reliable quick and easy replacement of drums thereby'securing a higher output or the knitting machine by the reduction of lost time. for instance. when 'changingpatterns and when selecting needles. Another advantage isthat the shield of the drum does not encompass the whole drum thus permitting a removal of th e' cover from the body of the drum with a minimum requirement of'free space above the drum.

su'ch space being required for other operating parts of the machine. A great advantage is also the simple construction ofthe arrangement. and its economy of manu t'actu're. i [a i DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A control device 2 serving for turning a pattern drum 3 is rotatably supported in the lower part of a supporting body 1. The drum 3 is firmly connected to a tubular insert 5 by means of a bolt 4. Openings 6 are provided along the circumference of the drum for removably receiving pegs 7 according to chosen programs. The pegs 7 rest against the surface 8 of the tubular insert 5. The opposite end of. the drum 3 is rotatably supported in the cover 9 by means of the tubular insert. A cylindrical surface 10 arranged partly on drum and partly on a shield 11 encompassing only a part of the circumference of the drum 3 prevents the pegs 7 from an unwanted escape from the openings 6 of the drum 3. The shield 11 is guided in guiding means 12 on the drum, and its position is secured by a curved strap piece 13 and by a recess engaging shield at the bottom thereof 14 in the cover 9 which receives the upper end of the shield 11, as shown in FIG. 1. The cover 9 is mounted on bolts 15 arranged on the drum 3 and is provided with indentations or recesses 16. A ledge 18 with a control pin 19 is slidably arranged in a slot 17 of the cover 9. The slot 17 of the cover 9 is covered by a closure 20. The ledge 18 serves to lock and unlock cover 9 with respect to the drum 3 by inserting the ledge 18 into the indentations 16 or by removing the ledge 18 from the indentations 16 of the bolts 15.

The body 1 is provided with a slot 30 extending therethrough and providing access to the pegs 7 for selectors, not shown, of the circular knitting machine. such selectors cooperating with needle jacks (not shown) of such machine. The control device 2 has a circular, cylindrical hub 29 which is journalled in a bore 28 in the body I. The hub 29 is maintained in the body 1 by a spring ring 26 received in an annular groove in hub 29, the peripheral edge of the ring 26 overlying the shoulder 27 in the body 1. Driving engagement between hub 29 and the insert 5 is provided by the non round projection 32 on essential body of the insert, such projection being received in a similarly shaped opening 34 in the upper part of the hub 29. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a groove 18 is provided in a plate 9 for the accommodation of the pin 19.

The connection of the cover 9 with the drum 3 is accomplished (FIG. 4) by inserting the ledge 18 into the identations 16 of the bolts so that part 21 and part 22 of the ledge 18 is within the indentations 16 of the bolts 15, whereby this position of the ledge 18 is secured by a latch in the form of a ball 24 loaded by a spring 23, the ball selectively entering a corresponding recess 25, on the ledge 18. The disconnection of the cover 9 from the drum 3 (FIG. 5) is accomplished by removal of the ledge 18 from the indentations 16 of the bolts by means of the control pin 19 which slides in a slot. so that part 21 and part 22 of the ledge 18 are beyond the indentations or recesses 16 of the bolts 15 and the ledge is secured in this position by the ball 24, loaded by the force of the spring 23, entering a corre sponding recess 25 25' of the ledge 18. The cover 9 can be removed by being raised from the bolts 15 and thus from the body of the drum.

A quick exchange of drums 3 complete with pegs 7 for other drums 3 with pegs 7 set in a new pattern or program is accomplished by an easy and quick removal of the covers 9 and, after the subsequent exchange of drums 3, by a repeated replacing of the covers and connecting them with the drums 3. Two different methods of replacing complete drums 3 will be described in the following, namely; 1) if there is plenty of space above the pattern device, and (2) if some additional functional implements of the knitting machine are provided above the pattern device.

1. In the first case it is sufficient to remove the com plete cover 9 from the drum 3 by the already described method, to remove the pins 4, and subsequently to remove the complete drum 3 by an upward movement. After placing a complete drum 3 with the new pattern in site, the cover 9 is again applied and connected with the drum 3 by the fastening device provided in the cover 9. ln.this case, it is not necessary to remove the shield 11 from the drum 3.

2. In the second case, where an additional functional device of the knitting machine is provided above the pattern device, a free space corresponding to the height required for raising the complete cover 9 from the upper part of the tubular insert 5 is quite sufficient. After removal of the complete cover 9, the shield H is removed by being lifted above the strap piece 13 and then the complete drum 3 is removed by raising it through the height of its projection 32 so that such projection clears the supporting surface of the control device 2. The inserting of a complete drum 3 with a new pattern is accomplished by a sequence of operations opposite from that described Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to one preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferred embodiment, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pattern device having a quickly replaced pattern drum having pegs projecting from the peripheral surface of said drum, comprising a body for supporting the drum, a cover overlying one end of the body, bolts each having a recess arranged on the said end of the body and projecting outwardly thereof, openings in said cover in register with said bolts on said end of said body, thereby permitting the bolts to engage in said openings, a transverse slot in said cover, a ledge adapted to slide in said slot into a position wherein it simultaneously engages in said recesses in said bolts, and stop means selectively securing said ledge in said position.

2. The combination as in claim I wherein the stop means comprises a spring loaded reciprocable latch engageable in a recess.

3. The combination as in claim 1, comprising a shield encompassing a part of the circumference of the drum. and interfitting guides on the body and on the cover securing the shield in position.

4. The combination as in claim 1, wherein the drum is provided with a plurality of radial openings in its peripheral surface, and comprising aplurality of pegs removably mounted in said openings.

5. The combination as in claim I, comprising a shield encompassing a part of the circumference of the drum, interfitting guides on the body and on the cover securing the shield in position, and parts presenting a cylindrical surface on both the body of the drum and on said shield preventing the pegs from leaving their openings in the drum. 

1. A pattern device having a quickly replaced pattern drum having pegs projecting from the peripheral surface of said drum, comprising a body for supporting the drum, a cover overlying one end of the body, bolts each having a recess arranged on the said end of the body and projecting outwardly thereof, openings in said cover in register with said bolts on said end of said body, thereby permitting the bolts to engage in said openings, a transverse sloT in said cover, a ledge adapted to slide in said slot into a position wherein it simultaneously engages in said recesses in said bolts, and stop means selectively securing said ledge in said position.
 2. The combination as in claim 1 wherein the stop means comprises a spring loaded reciprocable latch engageable in a recess.
 3. The combination as in claim 1, comprising a shield encompassing a part of the circumference of the drum, and interfitting guides on the body and on the cover securing the shield in position.
 4. The combination as in claim 1, wherein the drum is provided with a plurality of radial openings in its peripheral surface, and comprising a plurality of pegs removably mounted in said openings.
 5. The combination as in claim 1, comprising a shield encompassing a part of the circumference of the drum, interfitting guides on the body and on the cover securing the shield in position, and parts presenting a cylindrical surface on both the body of the drum and on said shield preventing the pegs from leaving their openings in the drum. 